[This sermon needs popcorn and popcorn smells. You may want to distribute little bags of popcorn with the bulletins. Or during the sermon you may want to have someone making popcorn so that the smell can percolate through the sanctuary. But in some way, your parishioners need to have a popcorn experience to go along with the sermon. Maybe even give each person an uncooked popcorn kernel so that the contrast between one that has undergone fire and one that hasn't can be felt and tasted.]

The New Year always means a whole new bunch of good intentions. We promise ourselves that with the fresh year will come fresh attitudes, fresh outlooks, fresh results. Dieting and exercise regimes are always popular old ideas we try anew in January. For those of us living in colder climes, there's exercise…